The Good Death

By: S D Sykes

Narrated by: Ewan Goddard

The violent, poignant story of how Oswald de Lacy came to be lord of Somershill.

Oswald de Lacy, Lord of Somershill, sits at his mother's deathbed.

Before she dies, he must make a confession. He needs to tell of the days when he was eighteen years old, the third, disregarded son of the family, sent off to become a monk, working in the infirmary while plague raged outside the monastery. Of how he was sent to a nearby village and witnessed the death of a local girl, and how he swore to investigate... and how he was drawn into a crime so dark and terrifying, it haunts him - and his family - still.

(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2021 Portica Associates Ltd

Critic reviews

The series gets better and better. It's building a very credible medieval world view while keeping the reader turning the pages at a gallop. And Oswald is such an appealing character, growing richer and deeper with every book, as the beastliness of his family becomes more and more evident. I loved the concept of a good death, too.

The author's inventiveness and gift for description serves to deepen an already nuanced lead. Sykes solidifies her standing as a preeminent historical whodunit writer

S D Sykes' The Good Death is a twisting mystery written with intelligence and a striking mood of poignancy. I turned the final page with deep satisfaction and true admiration

Sykes has an easy, engaging writing style producing an entertaining and enthralling read

An utterly compelling, darkly atmospheric mystery set against a backdrop of plague, prejudice and passion. I could not put this book down

It is a book to get lost in rather than rattle through and it feels like the right book to reflect, without being overwhelmed by that, on our newly limited world. I thoroughly recommend it

The Good Death is beautifully written and immersed in its time . . . I marvel at the way in which the author evokes this feudal age . . . a fabulous historical crime mystery